Is too much of a good thing bad for you?
‘TOO MUCH’ IS SUBJECTIVE, AND THERE’S ALWAYS A WAY TO STRIKE A BALANCE.
My parents would always tell me to “stop playing those games, you’ll never get a job playing games.” As editor of this fine magazine I’d disagree. Playing something you love can be a good thing, and what actually constitutes ‘too much’ is also subjective. There’s more choice nowadays, so a balance is easier to reach – PES 2018 or a round of H1Z1 can be squeezed in between gym and socialising, with a feet-up extended session of God Of War reserved for the weekends. Too much of anything can be harmful but finding a balance is achievable if you’re prepared to vary the games you play.
THE FARM IS THE ONE PLACE I CAN GO TO ESCAPE THIS NONSENSE.
Ah, this old hazelnut… I know it well, because I keep gifting it to Leah and Linus in an effort to level up our friendship.
I shan’t tell you how many hours I’ve racked up in Stardew Valley but, with my professional interest as it is, it’s more than the average grandchild has managed. This wholesome farming sim isn’t out to get anyone, it merely extends a starchy tuber as an offering of friendship. It’s the perfect thing to calm me after another fruitless conversation spent trying to assuage the fears of a panicked moral guardian daunted by Fortnite. It’s never too much. How can a spot of rural relaxation ever be a bad thing?
AROUND YOUR THIRD SEQUENTIAL PLAYTHROUGH OF MGS2 IS WHEN YOU REALLY BEGIN TO APPRECIATE IT.
I take my PS Vita with me everywhere I go. I don’t whip it out every single day, but it’s about the option. And the great thing about Vita is I can play it wherever I want, whenever I want. Too much? Pah. Have you truly gamed if you’ve not locked yourself in a dark room illuminated only by a Vita as you squint at a printed checklist of every dog tag in MGS2? Courier New, 8pt font, of course.
Okay, maybe I went a little overboard, but if you know when to hang up the bandana and move on to something fresh, it should be fine. And this is coming from someone who owns a Vita.
IT’S NOT SO MUCH A CASE OF TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING, MORE LIKE TOO MANY GOOD THINGS.
Horizon Zero Dawn, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, Shadow Of The Colossus, Assassin’s Creed Origins, Far Cry 5, and Onrush. Just a few of the games still waiting either for me to finish them, or even *gasp* to take the shrink wrap off! As with most of us these days, my attention span is shorter than Kylo Ren’s fuse, so I tend to flit from one game to another. As my pile of shame attests, I have too many good things to fit in with my other interests.
I mean, who would sit in a darkened room squinting at a Vita when they could be outside running? That would be just plain weird.